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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23334280">Ava's Path</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinkysash/pseuds/kinkysash'>kinkysash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shameless (US)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Chicago (City), Dominant Lip Gallagher, F/M, Family Feels, Inspired by Shameless (US), Love, Protective Ian Gallagher, Protective Lip Gallagher, Protective Mickey Milkovich, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Burn, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:41:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,293</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23334280</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinkysash/pseuds/kinkysash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ava is a 19-year-old girl who has to endure the wrath of her stepfather while taking care of her little sister. She thinks she can handle what she's going through but realizes that she's going to have to accept help from Lip and the Gallaghers.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lip Gallagher/Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Ava's past</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Lip x OC pairing (slow burn)</p><p>I posted this story on Wattpad as well. </p><p>WARNING :<br/>This story contains mention of rape and beating as well as sexual content and swearing. </p><p>Disclaimer : I do not own any of the characters of Shameless (US) just the original characters and the plot.<br/>This story doesn't follow the plot of the show.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ava is 19 years old and lives on the South Side Chicago with her stepfather and sister-in-law Heloise. Paul is an alcoholic whom her mother, Nikita, met when Ava was 9. Before moving with him to Chicago, Ava and her mother lived in New York City. Nikita had been an addict since the death of her father, 3 years earlier, who didn't really care for her; she used to come home from school and find her mother asleep on the couch with drool in the corner of her mouth and a used syringe in her hand. But she eventually met Paul, who was a musician at the time, he brought joy back into her life, they were married two months later and moved to Chicago.</p>
<p>At first, everything was going well, Ava was happy to see someone looking after and loving her mother and she no longer had to go around the block stealing food and clothes. She had a new three-year-old baby sister who she considered her real sister. Her relationship with her stepfather was courteous, they never got along particularly well but they supported each other out of love for Nikita and Heloise, they were what held the family together. Ava started going to her new school and met Ian and Lip Gallagher who became her best friends rapidly and she now considers their family her own. As soon as they met, she and her little sister started spending all their free time in their house, which was three houses down the street from theirs. Heloise also considers them her family and met her best friend Debbie, who is the same age as her. Despite having to take care of her sister because their parents were too focused on each other, she loved her life. </p>
<p>But a year ago, Ava's life started falling apart and her personal hell began. Her mother died of an overdose after she relapsed when she learned that Paul had cheated on her with one of his coworkers. Ava was devastated because, despite their difficult relationship, Nikita was still her mother and she loved her. But from that day on, Paul was not the same and started coming home later and later and drinking more and more. He stopped caring for Heloise and became angry with Ava. </p>
<p>(TRIGGER WARNING : mention of rape and assault below) </p>
<p>One night he came home very upset after a bar fight and started yelling at the girls. Ava sensed it was going to get out of hand and forced Heloise to let her handle it and go to the Gallaghers for protection. She tried to calm Paul down but all he could think about was Nikita and how Ava was just a walking memory of her. He started slapping her and threw her to the ground holding her arms to make her pay. She wasn't a virgin then, but that night Ava lost an innocence she could never regain. Despite weeks of questions, the Gallaghers and especially Lip never knew what happened that night, only Fiona knew because she needed to take the morning-after pill and didn't have the money to pay for it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Fuck</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>She winces as she feels the soreness in her body now that her high from last night and this early morning is coming of.</p><p>She hears a gasp behing her and rapidly lowers her shirt.  </p><p>"What the fuck is that Ava ?"</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Turning her head, Ava realizes the summer sun is coming up. She enjoys the gradation of colors in the sky for a few minutes. Eventually, she gets lost in her thoughts as she remembers last night. She wanted to forget so she called Adam, she knows he is not good for her but he is always here when she needs to get fucked up. Adam is a dealer in South Side, she met him when she was looking for drugs after the incident last year with her step-dad. Since then, he has always been there when she wanted to escape her sad reality.</p><p>She gets up making as little noise as possible so she can escape from Adam's house without having to talk to him. Her head is pounding with her hungover but she can't stay and lay in bed forever, she has to be there for her sister and go to work so Heloise doesn't have to rely on her father. Putting on her clothes from last night, she leaves and starts going to the Gallagher house taking an already rolled joint from her pocket.</p><p>She throws her joint butt away when she arrives in front of her adopted family's house and pushes the door without knocking.</p><p>"Hey, Fi, what's up?" Ava walks into the kitchen to see Fiona making breakfast with Liam in her arms. "hi buddy," she says as she blows a raspberry on his cheek to make him giggle.</p><p>"Hello, sweetheart, where were you last night? We went out dancing with V, you could have come." Fiona's like a big sister to her, and Ava will always be grateful for what she did for her.</p><p>"Ooh, that would've been cool, but I spent the night at Adam's, I wanted to get out of the house."</p><p>"Shit, are you okay? You know you're always welcome here." Since that night, Fiona has become extremely protective of Ava while trying to respect her choice not to say anything to Ian and especially to Lip. Fiona is worried for the young woman she considers her little sister but understands that she is doing this to protect them for fear that they will go after Paul and end up in jail.</p><p>"Yeah, it's okay, don't worry and thanks Fi, it means a lot."</p><p>"Okay," she says, kissing the pretty girl on the forehead, "do you think you could go wake the monsters?"</p><p>"Sure, no worries." Ava responds as she begins to climb the stairs.</p><p>First she goes to Debbie's room where she sleeps with Heloise and throws herself on their bed to give them kisses. "Come on, beauties, wake up."</p><p>The two teenage girls wake up grunting and give Ava a hug before getting up. </p><p>She leaves the girl's room to knock on the Carl's room knowing that Ian is problably at Mickey's "Wake up small terror, Fi is making breakfast" She leaves hearing him yelling a "Cming" from his room to go to Lip's and jumps on his bed.</p><p>"Get up Lippie, the sky is blue, the sun is shining and the birds are chirping in this shitty neighborhood" She is greeted by grunts and a pillow thrown at her. She gives a little scream and rushes to hide under the cover. Lip takes the opportunity to get on top of her, holding her hands crossed over her head with one hand while he tickles her with the other. She starts laughing and begging him to stop. He stops but continues to hold her hands while his eyes darken with what Ava thinks could be hunger as she begs him. He smiles and bends over to have his mouth close to her ear. Her friendship with Lip has always been what some might consider ambiguous, full of teasing and flirting. Even more so knowing that they had their first experience together when they were younger, but they never tried to push their relationship towards something romantic. They are best friends and wouldn't change their relationship for anything in the world.</p><p>"I love it when you beg," Ava gasps and feels shivers forming on her body at his voice rough with sleep. Lip smirks at her reaction and nibbles her neck for a couple of seconds before starting to get up. But stops and frowns when he sees hickeys on her cleavage which is no longer covered by her shirt after she's gesticulated because of his tickles. "You were with the fucker again last night ? I tought you stopped seeing him,"</p><p>"Oh yeah, he called me and I wanted to have some fun," She knows Lip (and each member of her family) doesn't like Adam since she spent a month doing to much drugs and going down a bad road after her first bad encounter with Paul. All except Fiona think that he's a bad influence for her, not knowing that it's Ava who goes to him when things go bad.</p><p>"I don't understand what you're doing with him, he doesn't deserve you, you know he's bad for you," Lip says rising his voice as he can feel Ava trying to diminish his point of view. </p><p>"Stop acting like he's the devil and anyway we're not together we just have fun together, " Ava scoffs at his reaction, can't helping but be defensive. Feeling that they're going to fight sooner than later, she starts to get up going to the bathroom to put some water on her face.</p><p>In the bathroom, not knowing that Lip is watching her in the mirror, she can't help but look at her ribs where she still has bruises from the last time Paul came back home drunk. She winces as she feels the soreness in her body now that her high from last night and this early morning is coming of.</p><p>She hears a gasp behing her and rapidly lowers her shirt.  </p><p>"What the fuck is that Ava ?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Don't worry about me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The rest of her day is as uneventful as it can be except some drunk men trying to hit on her and grab her ass at work, but that is unfortunately something she is used to by now. She still hasn't heard from Lip, but she figures it's for the best that he's not involved in her crap, and it's now almost midnight.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Fuck" She whispers to herself, feeling stupid for not trying to hide it better. She turns around to see Lip red from his rising anger and knuckles white from tightening them.</p><p>Ava instantly tries to change the subject. "Nothing, come on let's go get breakfast, I'm starving," She knows Lip will never buy it, more so when she can't look at him in the eyes. He said to her once that he can always know when she lies because she can never look at him properly.</p><p>"Don't lie to me Ava, I know you," He starts lifting her shirt with his eyes hard to reveal her bruises covered ribs and a red teeth mark on her hip. He clenches his jaw and raise his eyes to look at the only person outside his family he ever loved. "Look at me."</p><p>Ava keeps her eyes down and bite her lower lip. But Lip has none of it and take her chin between his fingers to raise her head and tugs on her bottom lip with his tumb. "Ava, I won't ask again," He asks with a dominating voice as she timidly looks at him and what she sees scares her. She stares at the blank angry stare of her best friend and doesn't know what to do, she knows she can't lie to him but she can't be sure he isn't going to end up in jail if she tells him. "Who the fuck did that Ava ? I fucking swear I'll kill whoever touched you,"</p><p>"Lip... " Ava whispers not wanting Lip to raise his voice and get more angry "Don't worry about me, I'm fine"</p><p>"Don't worry ? How the fuck am I suppose to not worry about it when the one good thing in my life gets beaten up by whoever ?" Lip starts to caress the skin of her ribs slowly so as not to hurt her any more than she already is but keeps one hand on her cheek so she doesn't try to flee. "Now, I'm going to ask you one more time before I assume this fucker of Adam Cook did this to you. What the fuck happened Ava ?"</p><p>"Adam didn't do anything, don't try to find any reason to beat the fuck out of him," Ava starts to get angry as well and tries to escape Lip's grip. She isn't really angry but she hates having to face what she considers to be her weakness.</p><p>" Yeah well what the fuck am I suppose to think ? You only have him and us in your life except Mickey but we both he would never touch you like that" He keeps holding her and keeps her from leaving while Ava cringes following his path of thoughts knowing he is going to find out on his own. Lip looks at her in the eyes with a depth she thinks he is going to look at her very soul and she sees the weels turn in his mind and the exact moment he connects the dots.</p><p>"It's fucking Paul, isn't it ? The fucking bastard did this to you. I fucking knew you didn't just fall of the stairs last year after Heloise came crying to our house."</p><p>"It's none of your business Lip, start taking care of the drinking problem we both know you have before trying to get involved in mine." She knows it's a low blow and she instantly feels bad for it but she can't think of anything else to say to stop him.</p><p>"Fine, don't come find me when someone has to pick up the pieces," Lip clenches his jaw and scoffs before going down the stairs to sit at the table where all their family can feel the anger radiating of of him.</p><p>After a few minutes, Ava comes down too and takes Heloise hand to make her sit on her lap. Everyone falls silent sensing the tension between the two bestfriends. But eventually, Debbie starts talking about a boy she is seeing and the mood improves. That is until Heloise turns around to look at her sister and asks "Do you think we could go to the house ? I need to take a few clothes and makeup for a party we go to with Debbie and Carl tomorrow."</p><p>From the corner of her eyes, Ava can see Lip clenching his jaw waiting for her answer. But knowing, she can't alert the rest of the family that something is wrong, she agrees. "Sure babe, I'll go for you, just tell me what you need and I'll bring it to you,"</p><p>"But I can come with you beside Dad is... " Heloise starts but Ava instently interrupts her.</p><p>"Heloise. I'll go after my shift, it's on my way," Ava stares at her trying to make her understand without having to talk.</p><p>"Ok... well I'll make you a list then, thank you A" She says, kissing her on the cheek and starts a conversation with Debbie about their clothes for the party.</p><p>Ava raises her eyes just in time to see Lip scoff and leave the table to go outside slamming the door behind him. Fiona looks at her with questions in her eyes but Ava just sighs in response.</p><p>The rest of her day is as uneventful as it can be except some drunk men trying to hit on her and grab her ass at work, but that is unfortunately something she is used to by now. She still hasn't heard from Lip, but she figures it's for the best that he's not involved in her crap, and it's now almost midnight.</p><p>On the way home, she mentally prepares herself in case she comes face to face with Paul, he's probably at the bar but knowing that she's running out of time, she prepares herself for the worst. Pushing the door as discreetly as possible, she sighs with relief when she notices that all the lights are off and that Paul is not there. She rushes to the room she shares with her sister and begins to gather the things Heloise has asked for. She also packs a bag for herself, thinking it would be safer to stay in this house as little as possible.</p><p>With two bags on her shoulder, she is about to go down the stairs when she freezes hearing the front door slamming. Trying to gather her courage, she goes down with her head held high so as not to show her fear to Paul and tries to escape as quickly as possible. But she should have known that luck was never on her side. Paul notices her right away, and looks at her from top to bottom, stopping for a few seconds at her cleavage.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Her mind is numb</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Well, well, well... Long time no see. Did you miss me ?" Paul starts walking towards her, pulling her back to a corner where she can't escape. "What are you holding in your pretty little hands?"</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Well, well, well... Long time no see. Did you miss me ?" Paul starts walking towards her, pulling her back to a corner where she can't escape. "What are you holding in your pretty little hands?"</p><p>Refusing to show any weakness in front of him, Ava keeps her eyes on him and says, "I'm just getting our stuff back, don't worry, I didn't steal anything."</p><p>But apparently Paul's had enough and says, "Stop trying to take Heloise away from me, I know you're filling her head with lies trying to pass yourself off as the good guy when all you're doing is teasing me."</p><p>Unable to help herself, Ava scoffs and pushes his shoulders trying to escape from the corner but Paul is too strong and doesn't move an inch. "I'm doing absolutely nothing, you're just embarrassed that there's no one in your life that loves you so you're taking it out on me."</p><p>(TRIGGER WARNING)</p><p>"Don't lie to me, bitch, it's all your fault. If you hadn't been such a bad daughter, Niki would still be here with us and now you're trying to take Heloise away from me," he starts screaming while raising his hand and slapping her hard on the jaw. Smiling as he sees the tears rising in his daughter-in-law's eyes, he grabs her by the throat before turning her over and pressing her against the wall with his hips.</p><p>Ava cringes sensing a bulge forming in his pants and tries to control her breathing. She is so damn scared and can't help but feel that it's her fault and that she should have been faster while taking Heloise and her's stuff. She can smell his breath reeking of alcohol and realizes at that moment that there is nothing she can do to stop him from taking advantage of her. Paul doesn't seem bothered by her immobility and starts kissing and biting her neck while his other hand is busy taking off his pants. Ava can feel him taking care of himself behind her back and it's like an electroshock in her body. She tries to escape by hysterically moving her legs, trying to kick him in the crotch. But Paul is unstoppable, getting even more angry, he grabs her by the neck and throws her to the ground. He jumps on her and tears her shirt in half. Ava starts crying and keeps struggling, insulting him with every name in the book.</p><p>But he puts her head on the ground and starts to get busy with getting her pants down to her knees. Ava is unable to move her legs with her pants pulling at her skin. When she can feel him tearing her panties, she knows it's too late. Seconds later, she feels him sink into her in one thrust, his huge body above her and his harsh breath in her ear.</p><p>All she can do is try to get lost in her head, think about something else; her sister's smile when Ava gives her a present, Lip's smirk when he teases her, Ian bringing her soup when she's sick, talking about men with Fiona, Carl's face when she messes his hair, Debbie asking her for advice about clothes and makeup and Liam's giggle when she tickles him.</p><p>Finally she can feel him finish himself in her and starting to get up. He just kicks her one more time in the rib before leaving without a look to her.</p><p>(END OF THE TRIGGER)</p><p>Her mind is numb.</p><p>Perhaps, as a last instinct of self-preservation, her mind prevents her from feeling anything.</p><p>All she can think about is how to escape from it. She doesn't want to give herself time to lose herself in her misery. She makes her decision in a split second.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. It's you and me, babe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Heloise,</p><p>I'm going away for a while.</p><p>Stay at the Gallaghers' and don't go back to Paul's, it's not safe.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I had some strong Skins feels for this one aha!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She quickly puts her clothes back on and takes a hoodie from her bag after seeing the state of her shirt. Refusing to aknowledge the shame she feels, she escapes from this house of horror after retrieving the two bags from the floor.</p><p>Once again in front of the Gallaghers' door, she glances at her watch, which reads 2 a.m., and pushes the door as discreetly as possible. Suspecting that everyone must be asleep or outside, she goes to the kitchen and puts Heloise's bag on the counter. She looks the living room for an envelope and a pen. When she finds them, she takes half of her savings out of her bag and puts them in Heloise's bag after writing her a note.</p><p>Heloise,</p><p>I'm going away for a while.</p><p>Stay at the Gallaghers' and don't go back to Paul's, it's not safe.</p><p>I left $500 in the envelope for you to help Fiona with the groceries and the bills and to buy you whatever you need.</p><p>Don't try to find me. I'll be back. I just need to take some time for myself.</p><p>Don't worry about me.</p><p>I love you, I love you,</p><p>Ava</p><p>Feeling something wet on her cheek, she runs her hand over it to wipe away the tears she didn't know she had and makes her way outside.</p><p>Once outside, Ava pulls out a cigarette and after lighting it, she turns her phone back on to see two missed calls from Lip and one from Adam. Sighing, she presses Adam's contact to call him back.</p><p>"Hey, gorgeous." He answers on the second ring.</p><p>"Hey Adam, I need to get away for a while, you up for it?" She asks in a wobbly voice.</p><p>"Sure, whatever you want. I stole a car because I needed to go see some old clients anyway. Where should I pick you up?"</p><p>"I'm outside the Gallaghers'."</p><p>"Okay, I'll be there in two, I'm right next door." He answers before he hangs up.</p><p>Ava sits on the steps and closes her eyes as she waits for him, trying to clear her mind but feeling that without a little rebound she won't be able to escape what she's just been through.</p><p>Hearing the engine of a car, she opens her eyes to see Adam get out of his car and get closer to her. He seems to be worried about her but fortunately doesn't say anything.</p><p>"Let's go," he says, reaching out his hand to help her up. His eyes stop for a few seconds on the bruise that's forming on her jaw but again says nothing. Ava takes his hand after putting her hood over her head and stands up to walk with him. Once she and Adam are inside the car, she turns her head just in time to see Lip coming out the front door and starting to get closer. Turning her head towards Adam to see him already watching her, she just gives him a signal to start the car. Ava watches Lip through the rear-view mirror as he starts to run after them before stopping with his hands on his knees. He throws his hands in the air before rushing home probably to wake Fiona.</p><p>She can see Adam giving her a few glances out of the corner of her eye and after a few minutes of silence she decides to speak.</p><p>"I just need to forget."</p><p>Adam nods his head and takes a pill out of his pocket before putting it in front of her mouth. Ava opens her lips to let him place the pill on her tongue and takes a bottle of gin out of her bag to swallow it. After a few minutes, she feels her mind emptying and rests her head on the window, letting the images of the city unfolding before her eyes put her to sleep.</p><p>"It's you and me babe," she half hears Adam whispering before she closes her eyes.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. We're going after him</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After he saw her get in the car with Adam, Lip knew something was wrong. Her usually beautiful, vibrant eyes seemed empty and unemotional.</p><p>He rushed to wake Fiona, knowing that Ava has a special bond with her and that she probably knows something. His phone was already calling Ian despite the late hour.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After he saw her get in the car with Adam, Lip knew something was wrong. Her usually beautiful, vibrant eyes seemed empty and unemotional.</p><p>He rushed to wake Fiona, knowing that Ava has a special bond with her and that she probably knows something. His phone was already calling Ian despite the late hour.</p><p>"Lip, are you okay?" Ian answers in a worried voice, figuring Lip must have a good reason for waking him up.</p><p>"It's Ava, she's gone."</p><p>"What? What do you mean she's gone?" Ian responds, feeling his heartbeat racing at the thought of Ava in danger. He can feel Mickey starting to get up behind and throws him a worried look.</p><p>"I don't know, I just saw her get in a car with Adam and she didn't say anything, she left Heloise's bag in the kitchen."</p><p>"Okay, okay, maybe they're just going out and they'll come back tomorrow." Ian tries, feeling the fear in his brother's voice and knowing how he feels about her, despite his denial.</p><p>"No, Ian, not this time. Her eyes, she looked empty... I don't know what happened, but she went to Paul's house to get some things and something must have happened... Can you come to the house? We have to do something."</p><p>"Okay, don't do anything without us, we're coming." Ian answers before he hangs up.</p><p>Reassured by his brother's presence, Lip goes upstairs to Fiona's room.</p><p>"Fiona, get up!" He practically screams to wake her up.</p><p>"What the fuck, Lip? Trying to sleep here." The girl says grunting.</p><p>"Ava left with Adam, left Heloise's stuff with an envelope, I didn't look at what was inside but I can guess what it is. I don't know what happened, but it has something to do with Paul." Lip says in a hurried voice.</p><p>Hearing his words, Fiona realizes something must have happened like last year and looked down in guilt, thinking she didn't do enough to protect Ava.</p><p>"What? What do you know, Fiona?" Lip knows his sister and senses there's something she's not telling him.</p><p>"Okay, let's go to the kitchen, we need a beer." Fiona says before she got up and walked down the stairs to the kitchen, just in time to see Mickey and Ian come in the back door.</p><p>They all sit around the table, while Fiona gathers her courage to tell them the truth. She feels guilty about betraying Ava's trust, but she's afraid that without the boys' help, Ava won't be able to survive what she's been through. Even more aware of Ava's tendency to destroy herself when something goes wrong rather than deal with it.</p><p>"Remember last year, after Ava's mom died, when Heloise came here crying and saying that Ava told her to come and protect herself?" She asks knowing that everyone here remembers but none of them know the real story. Fiona looks up to see Ian and Mickey nod their heads while Lip stares at her and clenches his jaw. "Well, the next morning, she came to me and asked me for a morning-after pill." Fiona hears Ian gasp while Mickey and Lip seems to have murderous thoughts going on in their head. "She never told me the details, just that Paul had had too much to drink and that he punished her, saying Nikita's death was her fault and that she was a daily reminder of her."</p><p>"And may I ask why the fuck you thought you should keep this from me? Fuck Fiona. This is Ava we're talking about, she's not just any girl, she's family." Lip starts raising his voice in anger at his sister and Ava for not telling him, but more importantly, at Paul for touching Ava.</p><p>"I know, I told her to tell you guys when it happened, but she made me promise to keep it a secret. She said she didn't want you to go to jail for killing Paul and didn't want Heloise to lose her father."</p><p>"Even so, you should have told us. Look at the result. She just took off someplace because it must have happened again tonight. We could have protected her." Ian finally says.</p><p>"And personally, I don't give a shit about going to jail as long as it's for a good reason." Mickey adds. "And this is one."</p><p>Lip gets up and heads for the envelope sticking out of Heloise's bag. He knows the letter is not for him, but Ava's business is his business. After opening his eyes relatively wide to the amount of money he finds in it, he focuses on the letter and releases a hard sigh as he reads her words, feeling a little hurt that Ava didn't leave a word for him. He gives the letter to the others to read. "We're going after him, I don't give a shit about the consequences, he's going to pay."</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. We need you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Arriving in front of the door, Lip and Ian kick the door open while Mickey goes through the back door. The noise wakes Paul, who was slumped over on the couch, beer in hand. Seeing the rage in the incomers' eyes, he swears and rushes to the back door. He opens the door just to see Mickey, eyes black of hatred, punch him in the nose.</p>
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    <p>Fiona raises her head hearing the determination in her brother's voice. She's not sure she ever saw that angry for someone outside their family, she suspected that Lip and Ava had feelings for each other and Lip's reaction only confirms what she thought.</p><p>Ian and Mickey, after taking a look at each other to see their mutual agreement, get up and follow Lip who is already heading for the front door, catching the bat in the process.</p><p>"Guys, do what you want, but don't kill him. Heloise needs an official relative to stop Social Services from taking her." Fiona warns them, knowing she can't stop them even if she wanted to.</p><p>They all nod in response.</p><p>"Let's beat this bastard's ass," Mickey adds, cracking his knuckes before pulling a brass fist out of his pocket as Ian picks up a crowbar that was hanging from the fence.</p><p>Arriving in front of the beat down house, Lip and Ian kick the front door open. The harsh noise wakes Paul, who was slumped over on the couch, beer in hand. Seeing the rage in the incomers' eyes, he swears and rushes to the back door. He opens it just to see Mickey, eyes black of hatred, punch him in the nose.</p><p>"Nice try, son of a bitch. But we've got things to work out together."</p><p>Mickey grabs him by the collar and drags him to the living room where both brothers are staring at Ava's shirt ripped off still on the floor. Lip looks up slowly to look at the man who hurt the girl he cares about (more than he is willing to admit).</p><p>He flexes both hands on the bat before giving Paul a hard hit in the knees, knocking him to the ground groaning in pain.</p><p>"It's less fun when you're not the one kicking a girl's ass! You're gonna pay for what you did to her." He concludes his sentence with a kick in the ribs.</p><p>Mickey keeps kicking him everywhere he can reach while Ian focuses on kicking the living room furniture with his crowbar.</p><p>Paul spits blood before looking up at Lip with an evil smile on his mouth, "She liked it."</p><p>Lip lashes out in rage at his words and takes the knuckle-duster from Mickey's hands before repeatedly punching Paul in the face. All he can think about is how scared Ava must have been when Paul touched him. He tries to get Ava's pain through his fists so that's all Paul feels.</p><p>After a few minutes, he feels two arms grabbing his shoulders.</p><p>"Stop, you're killing him!" Ian yells, trying to get through to him.</p><p>"That's what the bastard deserves," Lip responds with harsh breaths.</p><p>Ian grabs his head in his hands while Mickey holds down Paul to keep him from running away. "I know and believe me, if it was my choice, he'd be dead already, but that's not what Ava wants."</p><p>Lip sighs, knowing his brother's right. Rubbing his hand on his jaw in frustration, he crouches down in front of Paul and grabs him by the collar. "You come near Ava or Heloise again, you're dead. Even those two won't be able to stop me." Getting a shaky nod from a bloody Paul, he throws him to the ground, and after one last kick in the face he leaves the house.</p><p>Outside, Lip throws the bat on the ground in rage before taking a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it. Picking up his phone, he dials one of the only numbers he knows by heart.</p><p>"Hey it's Ava, you fuckers know what to do!" His stomach contracts when he hears her voice.</p><p>"Ava... it's me. It's Lip. Fuck. I should've been there for you." He exhales his smoke and after a few seconds of silence, he keeps going, "You don't have to worry about him anymore. He knows what will happen if he comes near you again. Please, just go home. I... We need you."</p><p>Ian comes next to him and puts his arm around his shoulder. "She'll come home when she's ready. You know as well as I do that she'll only be found when she wants to be found."</p><p>"Yeah, she is some damn stubborn woman this one," Mickey adds making Lip raise the corner of his mouth in agreement.</p><p>Lip throws the end of his cigarette on the sidewalk. "Let's go home. We're done here."</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. It's been a month</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's been a month.</p><p>A month without hearing from her.</p><p>A month of thinking only about her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's been a month.</p><p>A month without hearing from her.</p><p>A month of thinking only about her.</p><p>At first, all Lip could feel was guilt. He should have gone after her, despite what Ian said. He should've stopped her from getting in the car with a guy like Adam. He should have gone with her when he heard Heloise ask for her clothes. He should have pushed her to tell the truth when he saw her bruises. And most of all, he should have seen the distress in her eyes and the change in behavior after her mother died.</p><p>He feels guilty about focusing on himself and his problems. He feels guilty for drinking so much that he didn't even realize that she was as high as he was drunk.</p><p>He called her almost every night for two weeks. He went to see Tony at the police station to file a missing persons report but the cop only told him that she had left of her own free will and there was nothing he could do, he just warned him that they had left in a stolen car. He started to lose hope of finding her. Even Heloise, who was devastated when she read the letter, doesn't ask about her as often anymore.</p><p>But now all he feels is anger. Anger that she left without saying goodbye. Anger that she didn't tell him when he could've protected her. And most of all, anger for making him care about her so damn much.</p><p>He doesn't really call anymore. Just sometimes, at the end of the night, when he comes home after drinking too much and needs to hear her voice, even on an answering machine.</p><p>He focuses on booze, joints and sex. During the day, he works at the dinner. And at night, he goes out to bars trying to find a girl to fuck.</p><p>He stays away from home as much as possible. The emptiness she's created in the family by leaving them is far too much to bear.</p><p>One night, around 2, while he is roughly pushing a girl against a wall, his tongue in her mouth, his phone rings.</p><p>He would normally have let it ring to call back later, but something made him answer.</p><p>He moves away from the girl, whose first name he doesn't even know, to answer as she sighs in annoyance. He frowns when he sees that it is an unknown number and answers. "Yeah?"</p><p>He's greeted by what he first thinks is silence but after a few seconds he realizes he can hear someone breathing heavily.</p><p>"Ava?" His heart starts beating faster at the mere thought of hearing her voice. "Ava, are you ok ? Talk to me,"</p><p>"Hi handsome," she finally says weakly,</p><p>"Fuck Ava, where are you?" He needs to know if she's okay, where she is,</p><p>"Um... I'm not really sure. In a motel room somewhere. I followed Adam and he never really told me where we were going..." The girl with Lip starts talking at the same time, keeping Lip from answering, "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you had company. That's okay, I'll call you later." She says quickly, about to hang up,</p><p>"No, no, no Ava wait, don't hang up. Hey, sorry about that, but I gotta go." He's trying to get the girl to back off so he can finally talk to Ava. All she does is go off and flip him off, "Yeah, whatever."</p><p>"Okay, back to you, are you okay?"</p><p>"I don't know, Lip. I'm freaking out. I just woke up in bed with Adam and another guy surrounded by coke and pills. I took too many last night, I have memory flashes, but I don't really know what happened. I'm coming down and I'm freaking out. I don't know what I'm doing these days, I'm a mess." She spills everything quickly with sobs breaking her speech, half whispering for fear of waking the men in her bed. "I want to go home, Lip. I miss you."</p><p>Grimacing at the thought of her with two guys, Lip tries to forget it and instead feels his heart breaking when he hears the distress in her voice. "Okay, Ava, listen to me." When he's sure she's calmed her breathing, he keeps going, "Try to send me your location on the phone you're calling me with and I'll come get you." He hears her agreeing and puts the call on speaker. After a few minutes, his phone vibrates with a new message, "Okay, you're in Michigan. I'm taking Fiona's car and I'll pick you up in an hour. Don't move." Hearing no response other than her crying, he tries to reassure her. "Ava, baby, listen to me, it's going to be okay, I'll be there in an hour and I'll get you home. We'll stay on the phone until I get there, yeah?"</p><p>"All right. I won't move. Thanks, Lip."</p><p>"Anytime, love."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It's my first time writing a whole fiction so be patient with me and don't hesitate to leave some comments.<br/>Hope you enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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